I Won A Trophy–Should I Throw It Away?
@RichardMeister (5328)
Otis Orchards, Washington
September 30, 2017 4:15pm CST
There has been talk about how young adults of today can’t handle losing. That giving them a trophy when losing a game and not keeping scores has created a generation that needs psychological intervention if their favorite team loses or they don’t get a promotion at work. It has created a generation that thinks they don’t have to work for their paycheck.
When I was doing housework I dusted off an old trophy I had received in 1984. As I dusted it I thought about what has been said about the idea of no losers. I did not receive the trophy for winning anything. Nor was it for losing.
I had joined the company I worked for at the time employee’s bowling team. I didn’t join because I thought I was a good bowler–I joined because they needed another person on the team. Yes, I had bowled before, but it had been several years since I had bowled. But that didn’t matter. If I had never touched a bowling ball they would have still wanted me on the team. It was just a matter of having a body to fill the team.
It took a while for me to get back my bowling arm. Well, the whole season, you might say. At the end I received my trophy. For most improved. It says plus fourteen. I can’t even remember what that exactly means. But no matter. It wasn’t for winning anything. Matter of fact, I think our team lost more games than it won.
Here I am with this trophy. I didn’t exactly win anything. Should I consider it a piece of junk and toss it? What do you think of this idea of giving out trophies to a losing team? Do you think it created a generation that thinks they ought to get whatever they want? That they ought to get a pat on the back for doing nothing?
11 people like this
11 responses
@moffittjc (118435)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 17
As an athletic director over numerous youth sports leagues, our organization made a decision about 3 years ago to stop giving out medals and trophies to all the kids (we said it was a cost-cutting move, but it was really for the reason you discussed above). Now, we only give trophies to the first place team.
As far as tossing out your old trophy, I would recommend that you instead recycle it. Most trophy shops will accept old trophies back, and they will use any parts of the old trophy that are salvageable. It helps them, and it keeps materials out of our landfills.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118435)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Oct 17
@RichardMeister I still have all my trophies from when I was a kid! Or, more correctly, my parents still have all my trophies from when I was a kid!
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
I think your decision to stop giving out trophies to all the kids was a good one.
I do not plan on get rid of my trophy. But I did think about taking it to a trophy shop if I did decide to get rid of it. But I think I'd kick myself in the rear end if I did get rid of it.
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Oct 17
@moffittjc That's great.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Oct 17
I have a bunch of skating medals and trophies . . . but they sit in a box in the closet - at my parents' house! I personally don't care about them . . . the memories of those moments are "up there" [pointing to my head]. And actually the memories aren't all good. Once I competed and had a pretty crappy performance . . . yet I still got 1st place. Everyone did badly, so it was a matter of who was messed up the least 
.
I suppose keeping them is a matter of how sentimental you are about it - and if you have room!
I am not a fan of those participatory awards either. As I am around young kids a lot, I see exactly what you are talking about. Competition is healthy . . . and so are awards only for the winners. It gives reason for people to reach for goals. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - that's just life. But you learn the harder you work, the higher your chances are for at least accomplishing your goals. If everyone gets an award regardless of reaching goals or not, then there's no point in working hard - the award is pointless too.
Yep, this is partly where this great sense of entitlement comes from of this generation 
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I suppose keeping them is a matter of how sentimental you are about it - and if you have room!
I am not a fan of those participatory awards either. As I am around young kids a lot, I see exactly what you are talking about. Competition is healthy . . . and so are awards only for the winners. It gives reason for people to reach for goals. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - that's just life. But you learn the harder you work, the higher your chances are for at least accomplishing your goals. If everyone gets an award regardless of reaching goals or not, then there's no point in working hard - the award is pointless too.
Yep, this is partly where this great sense of entitlement comes from of this generation .2 people like this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Oct 17
@RichardMeister That's exactly what people said. Maybe some people would have felt happy to have the prestige of being 1st . . . but I was more embarrassed about how ridiculous I must have looked on the ice. It was definitely not worthy of a win . . . let alone getting to receive a trophy or medal.
If I took a photo of one trophy, you would know what almost all my trophies look like. Same with the medals.
At my son's school, they have a yearly "Olympic" day . . . and only the winners get medals. Lots of kids make fun of my son because he is short (oh, he doesn't care). But during the Olympics one boy tried to egg it on that they were against each other in one event and that he was going to win because my son was too little. Well guess who won 
. My son actually won fair and square . . . and that sent that bragging boy crying. And what does his father do? The boy's father tried to explain to him up and down that they BOTH won . . . wth was that? Sorry, but like I said, you win some, you lose some - that's just life. Seriously, when some kids lose, they throw a fit as if the world was coming to an end .
. My son actually won fair and square . . . and that sent that bragging boy crying. And what does his father do? The boy's father tried to explain to him up and down that they BOTH won . . . wth was that? Sorry, but like I said, you win some, you lose some - that's just life. Seriously, when some kids lose, they throw a fit as if the world was coming to an end .2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
4 Oct 17
@much2say I was watching a skating event several years ago and there was this guy who fell down probably more that he skated. It was embarrassing to watch. And I kept wondering what he was even doing there. Then the announcer said something about his nerves getting to him because he was a better skater than that. Of course he didn't get any medals.
I only have the one trophy.
Yeah, that's the problem. Kids don't know how to lose and go off crying. When I was a kid if I lost and started crying I was told to straighten up and learn to be a good loser.
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Oct 17
People probably said, "At least you got 1st place." But I can understand. If you skated crappy and you knew it, in most cases you feel you do not desire a trophy.
My trophy sets on top of my bookcase. I should have taken a photo of it but I didn't think about it at the time.
When I was a kid if we lost we just told ourselves we would try harder the next time. And so we did. I was taught that things were not going to be given to me on a silver plater. When I was growing up I was paid for chores which helping milk the cows was considered chores. I got paid for working in the hayfield in summer. I grew up knowing in order to get money I had to work for it.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (85468)
• United States
1 Oct 17
I see yours as a legit trophy, but it's up to you. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I am not for participation trophies. A team wins together, and they should learn to lose together. There may be exceptions when it comes to individual sports, but for the most part I think we need to have something to aim for, and need to learn how to be good sports as we win, and as we lose.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
Actually this is the way I feel, too. I do plan on keeping the trophy.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
19 Oct 17
I think this idea of no losers and no need to achieve to be recognized for achievement has led to the entitlement mentality we see in the USA today. So when they don't get all they think they should, they protest or riot. These trophies are only part of the picture. The rest is the constant onslaught of propaganda.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
19 Oct 17
I tend to think so, too.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
1 Oct 17
It it has no meaning to you and you can't remember what +14 means then you might want to toss it. Give you a hint on the +14. That is your average. You were bad and started out low and you gained 14 points on your average. You were the one who improved their average the most. I use to bowl on a league when we were in one place long enough to complete the season. I use to love to bowl.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
I think you are right about the +14. What I was mainly getting at was since it wasn't a winning trophy should I even been given it? Should it be considered a worthless trophy since I didn't actually win anything? Here in the states they have gone to giving children trophies for losing games as well as winning. Some don't keep score. It go something like this–no one should feel like a loser therefore they can't lose. If there's no score then no one won and no one lost. If they are given a trophy when they lose then they are not losers (or at least they feel good because they got a trophy). And, by the way, I like having the trophy on my shelf.
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
1 Oct 17
@RichardMeister I don't know Richard. Many bowling leagues give out trophies for the most improved players, top team, highest score or so on and so forth.
I get what you are saying about getting a trophy for anything and everything these days. I am not from there and we don't do that here on the island. So this one is not so easy for me to judge or say what is right or what is wrong. Kids only win medals if they place in a competition. I think they try to be fair to the children in sports events now to show that everyone can have something for their time and effort. I don't know any other reason. But this is me.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
@poehere It is hard to judge but I know that some of these kids that grew up getting medals for losing come into the workplace thinking they ought to be promoted to supervisor and making more money than those who have worked there for years within a just a few days if not on their first day on the job. They think they should get a paycheck for just walking in the door.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
4 Oct 17
I thought about that but I like the trophy so I'm keeping–at least for now.
@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
1 Oct 17
It is up to you whether you keep it. I see it brought back memories, and in a way, it is a win. . . you did improve. I think many places do give out to many trophies, but then you get people like myself who will not compete, and my kids as well. They play for the joy of playing and if they do not enjoy it, they will not play. Er. . . they have not been kids for years, they are close to forty, but that is how they were as kids.My daughter tells her kids things like "the importance of playing games is doing things together" and maybe that is where our society is going wrong, we are not teaching people to do things together and support one another, win or lose.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
1 Oct 17
People feel entitled and it has become a problem.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36438)
• Toccoa, Georgia
1 Oct 17
You shouldn't throw it away. It is a memory of the time you bowled and improved your bowling. I have a similar type trophy. I took ballet at age 8 and was never good at it. I really tried but had no graceful moves like the other girls. But, at the end of the ballet session of classes, everyone who had participated was given a trophy. I quit after that class. I still have it today. I know I was not a good ballet dancer, but the trophy reminds me of the class and how I did try.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
That's good you feel that way. I do not intend on throwing my trophy away.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
2 Oct 17
Politically correct clap trap again! I seem to remember we were just grateful to take part. We didn't go home crying because we had not won. It is no way to learn that you can't always be a winner it is the taking part that counts!
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Oct 17
I agree. Kids should be grateful for taking part without being given a trophy.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Sep 17
Being rewarded somehow for showing up for kids is not all bad, but trophies should be awarded for merit I think.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Oct 17
Yes, if children show up on time they should be awarded in some way. But if the come slouching in a half hour late all the time, then no reward. At the last job I had there was a kid that always came in late. When the boss jumped him about all he did was laugh. He thought it was funny to be late. He eventually got the boot.
